Signpost support



April 7, 1931. c, PFAFF 7 1,799,314

S IGN POST SUPPORT Filed Feb. 28, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY April 7, 1931. H. c. PFAF'F 1,799,314

5 IGN POST SUPPORT Filed Feb. 28, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 7, 193i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RY C. PFAFF, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T PFAFF AND KENDALL, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY SIGNPOST SUPPORT Application filed February 28, 1929. Serial No. 343,274.

My invention relates to improvements in post supports, and more particularly to sup-V Heretofore metal street sign posts have been placed in the ground by first digging a hole, inserting one end of the post and then filling the hole with cement or the like. Frequently it becomes necessary, on account of injury to said posts, to replace the same, which necessitates considerable work in digging a hole and removing the post and the adhering cement. 7

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a sign post support, preferably made of metal, for interchangeably receiv' ing one end of the sign post, said support being embedded in the ground in any desired or convenient manner, preferably by cement.

Another object of my invention is to provide means located within said support whereby the length of the post to be exposed from the support may beadjusted, said means also serving to prevent the sign post from turning.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a sign post support designed to be used in connection with posts of different diameters, and also provided with means preventing the entrance of foreign matter and moisture to said support.

These and other advantages, which will later appear, are accomplished by the simple and practical construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and ex hibited in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein:

Figure 1 represents a vertical-sectional view of my support, embedded, and showing, partly in cross section, a post secured therein,

Figure 2 representsa transverse sectional view taken on lines 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow,

Figure 3 represents'a similar view taken on lines 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow,

Figure 4 represents a vertical view of my support partly in section, showing a closure plug fixed therein to close the aperture through which the posts are inserted, when no post is desired,

Figure 5 represents a top plan view of.

the cap employed in my improved post support and of the closure plug fixed therein,

Figures 6, 7 and 8 represent side elevational views of modified forms of positioning member employed in my support,

Figure 9 represents a top plan View of my support wherein anchoring bolts are employed to act as additional means for secur ing said device in position, 7

Figure 10 represents a side elevational view, partly in section, of my post support, showing the manner in which a post of much smaller diameter than thereceiving socket is secured therein, and

Figure 11 represents one end of an inter: cinangeable post provided with 'a'plurality of s ots. s

In the drawings, 6 represents a metallic, cylindrical pipe preferablyof a length to extend beyondthe frost line in the ground, in which is telescopically supported, on a positioning plug 10, slidably arrangedin said pipe 6, the lower end portion of the sign post 3, the said sign post usually consisting of a metallic pipe, the outside diameter of which is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the pipe ,or socket 6.

, Mounted on top of the pipe or socket is a cap 1, the under side of which is recessed at 8 to receive the soft metal'washer 9, which is forced around the pipe 6 and into the recess 8 to prevent entrance of moisture into the pipe 6. The under side of the cap 1 is further provided with a recess 7 to receive the end ofthe pipe 6 in order to properly position the cap upon said pipe. i

To preventmoisture from entering around in the, top of the cap 1.

The lower end of the post 3 maybe provided with a plurality of slots 3 designed to engage with the centering vanes 12 of the positioning member 10 (which may be reinforced as at 13) to prevent the sign supporting post 3 from turning in the pipe 6 particularly when apost' of smaller diameter is used,

9'0 the sign post 3, a soft metal washer 5 is forced around the post 3 in a suitable recess 4 located as is clearly indicated in Figures 10 and 11.

The apertured cap 1 illustrated in Figure 10 is provided with a centering plug 16 surrounding the pipe 8 and which is secured to the cap 1 by means of a soft metal washer 17. Although I have shown the metal washer interposed between the cap and the centering plug 16, the same can be interposed between the centering plug cap and the pipe as illustrated in Figure 1.

By employing spacing members 11 of different lengths, on which the positioning member 10 is secured, by means of a boss 10" formed on the under side of the positioning member and having frictional engagement with the inside of the spacing member 11, the length of the supported post- 3 within the pipe 6 may be adjusted as required.

The positioning member 10 may be provided with prongs 1% to engage with and become embedded in the inner sides of the pipe 6. Said plug 10 may be provided with a circumferential groove 16 into which the pipe 6 may be forced at diametrically opposite points, as shown in Figure 7.

The aperture 2 in the cap 1 through which the sign supporting post 3 is inserted may be closed by means of a closure plug 18, held in position by soft metal washer 5. Anchoring bolts 19 may be employed in the cap 1 to be embedded in the cement X.

It will thus be seen that, when my improved device, consisting essentially of the pipe 6, cap 1 and positioning member 10 is properly cemented into the ground, and because of injury to the sign post or for any other reason it is desired to remove the sign post therefrom, it becomes only necessary to remove the soft metal washer 5 from the cap 1, remove the sign post 3 and replace it with one of the same dimensions or one of a different dimension. In practice, I have found that by the use of the soft metal Washers 5 and 9, located respectively in the recesses 41: and 9 of cap 1, moisture is prevented from entering the pipe 6.

My improved device obviates the necessity, when damage is done to the sign post, of digging a new hole, removing the old post with its adhering cement, which entails considerable labor and time, particularly when the ground is frozen.

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive and illustrative only, and not as restrictive and limitativeof the invention, of which obviously an embodiment may be constructed including many modifications without departing from the general scope herein indicated and denoted in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A sign post support comprising a post supporting socket, a cap on said socket having an aperture for communication with said socket, and an annular recess in communication with said aperture, a post centering plug in said recess, and a post positioning memher in the socket adapted to telescopically receive the end of a post.

2. A sign post support comprising a tubular post supporting socket, a post positioning member in said socket, means on said member to telescopically receive the end of a post and means for properly spacing the positioning member relatively to the bottom of the socket to accommodate posts of various lengths.

3. A sign post support comprising a post supporting socket, an apertured cap secured to the top of said socket, a post positioning member in said socket and tapered vanes on said positioning member to telescopically receive and center the end of a post in said socket and prevent the turning thereof.

4. A sign post support comprising a tubular post supporting socket, open atthe upper end, a cap secured to the upper end of said socket in open communication therewith, a post centering plug in said cap, a post positioning member in said socket and vanes on said member adapted to telescopically receive the end of a post.

This specification signed this 18th day of February, 1929.

HENRY C. PFAFF. 

